For a real-time application that runs on a wireless network or communications system, it is desirable to be able to assess the real-time performance of the network, the network clients running the application, and the access points. In cellular type networks (mobile phones, wireless email devices and the like), a system exists that attempts to test a cellular communications network using a mobile test set to assess the quality of the wireless signal in a particular cell of the cellular communications network. These systems are able to determine the quality of the signal from the base station of the cell, but cannot and do not attempt to assess the quality of the signal at each mobile handset within the cell at any time. Since the cellular communications network has a cell site with a known location and known equipment installed by the network provider, the network provider is less concerned with the actual reception at each mobile handset. However, this testing system would not work very well for a wireless network system, such as an IEEE 802.11 (b) or (g) system (collectively “802.11 system”), since the access points in the 802.11 system are not uniform and the location of each access point is not predetermined by the access point provider to ensure optimal operating conditions. Other known systems measure the signal interference at a base station or collect call data from a set of mobile phones in order to assess the coverage area of a cell site. These typical systems provide point-to-point quality measurements.
Other systems and devices exist that permit a system to adjust the data rate of the wireless transmission based on the quality of the link. These systems have existed in modem technology for quite some time since modems adjust their transmit and receive speeds (baud rate) based on the quality of the communications link between the two modems that are communicating with each other. As above, this system does not attempt to assess the quality of the wireless signal at each receive station that is part of the communications network nor upload the quality information at each receive station to a central computer in order to perform overall network performance monitoring.
Another device measures the throughput of data at a base station of a wireless local area network wherein messages are sent during a test period to assess the throughput for the particular base station which is similar to a typical access point. This device measures the point-to-point quality measurement of the wireless local area network. However, this device does not accumulate the information about the station and then forward that information onto a central computer in order to provide overall network performance monitoring of the overall network, each access point and each station of the system.
For a wireless 802.11 network, a network sniffer may be used to measure the quality of the wireless signal at each access point to assess the performance of that access point. However, the network sniffer is not mobile and therefore does not accurately measure the performance of the wireless devices that are part of an 802.11 network. In addition, it is impractical to use a network sniffers for a large wireless network.
It is desirable to be able to assess the application specific, network performance of a network system wherein the performance is measured at one or more elements of the network.